Learner autonomy in the language classroom: from teacher dependency to learner independency

A Review of

"Learner autonomy in the language classroom: from teacher

dependency to learner independency"

By

ίlknur PEKKANLI EGEL

(Uludag UniversityFaculty of Education, Bursa 16220, Turkey)

Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 1 (2009), 4 pages ( 2023–2026 ), Elsevier Ltd

Introduction

   This article was intended to be a literature review of learners' autonomy focusing on its main themes: learners' responsibility and independence in the field of language learning. The author has taken a look on the concept of learners' autonomy since it entered the filed of language teaching, and also a very brief discussion of the difference between Western and non-western contexts. And he has considered the role of teachers in this issue.

   As a first step he has mentioned that a clear and logical definition of autonomy is of utmost importance as a matter of construct validity, though there is no exact and unique definition available. Having some factors of autonomy in his mind, he has talked about the birth of autonomy in language learning and has mentioned that Yves Chalon is regarded as the father of autonomy in language learning and he was the founder of the Centre de Researches et d’Applications en Languages (CRAPEL) which had a crucial role in the history of autonomy in the filed of language learning.

     For autonomy is not accepted as an absolute concept, he has suggested the literature of autonomy displayed by different studies which have been conducted to discover the processes and factors affecting it. For instance, Breen and Man (1997) believed that because of learners' dependence on teacher or classroom group, so a shift towards autonomy could cause either counter-dependency through “dropping out” or independence from the group.

    In the other part he has talked about different contexts; Western and Eastern classrooms and by referring to investigations of some researchers like Banson (2001) has come to this understanding that strategies taken by teachers for activation of learners' autonomy are context- specific.

    Next part of this research referring to experimental researches done by others has shown that teachers' style effects learners' autonomy. In fact controlling teachers and supportive teachers face two diverse performances by learners regarding autonomy. Voller (1997) who found that teachers must have a clear view of the attitudes and beliefs underpinning their views of autonomous language learning also proposes three fundamental assumptions which lead to autonomy: " [a] that language learning is an interpretive process therefore an autonomous approach to learning requires a transfer of control to the learner,[b] to make sure that our teaching practices reflect these assumptions by ensuring that they are based on a process of negotiation with learners, [3] to self-monitor our teaching so as to observe and reflect upon the teaching strategies we use and the nature of the interactions we set up and participate in."

   And Nunnan(1997) claimed that learners do not know  what and how is appropriate, in such condition teachers can help them by materials and strategies to learn how to learn. And he has suggested five steps; awareness, involvement, intervention, creation, and transcendence.

Critique

  The author has successfully accomplished his study and presented acceptable information to describe what he has mentioned as a title. The strength of his research was that he could talk about important issues precisely.

   The study also showed that although learner autonomy means a reshaping of the view that the learner is responsible for learning, teachers do not lose their responsibilities of teaching in the language learning process and on the contrary teachers become the primary agents on fostering the development of learner autonomy within the classroom context.